Guardians
by MeeLee
Summary: [COMPLETE] [For Michelle, Alice and Becky] Seto Kaiba is given the chance of a lifetime-to become something truly powerful, truly great...even if it means leaving his little brother behind. R&R.
1. Dreams

**A/N: **To say that it's been a long time since I've written a Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic is an understatement. To say that it's been a long time since I've written a _Seto Kaiba_ fanfic is a downright lie. Anyway, yes, I have decided to continue my endeavors in this section, pathetic as my previous projects were.

I'm trying to shorten my A/N's throughout the story, which is probably why all the important stuff is packed into this first chapter. Let me start by saying that this fanfic is dedicated to Alice, Michelle and Becky, the three most obsessed Kaiba fanatics I know. You guys better review! XD

Second up, as of this point in time, "Guardian" is **not** finished. However, I'd say it's about 75 complete, so I felt secure about posting the beginning. Needless to say, the story focuses on Seto Kaiba (why else would I dedicate it to these people) and also a bit on his relationship with his little brother. I consider it something of a preview/rough draft for another Kaiba-centric fic I'm working on, which I will not tell you about right now.

Oh yeah, just another brief note. I am aware that Jounouchi's name is actually Katsuya and Honda's name is actually Hiroto. Frankly, I'm just being a conformist when I use their last names. Oh yeah, for anyone who wants to know, Jounouchi Joey, Honda Tristan, and Anzu Tea. Why did I use their Japanese names? Because frankly, their dub names piss me off.

Now a couple of notes on this fanfic: (1) some characters may seem OOC because I didn't bother very much with character development in this story, (2) the writing pace is rather fast because I decided to get straight to the point in a lot of cases rather than beating around the bush with irrelevant details and dialogue, and thus the story is shorter than it could be, (3) the rating is mostly for Jounouchi's mouth, and (4) no, this is not my best writing, and no, I do not care. Honestly, you can't expect someone who's written 14 pages in three days to do their best. I'm just trying to get this done before my inspiration runs out.

Brief note on this first chapter: I tried to simulate someone's thoughts in a dream, which explains the sentence fragments. When was the last time you had a dream and your vocabulary consisted of SAT words?

A random ending note: the apple I'm eating is kind of clear in the middle. Does that mean it's spoiled?

I will put anything that I've forgotten into future A/N's. On with the story! (Sorry you had to endure such a long note)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. However, I do own this story and the ideas it conveys, so steal and die.

As always, reviews are appreciated and flames are ignored.

Guardians

**BEGIN**

He could not see the sky, yet he knew it was there. Just as he could not see the sand, but he knew _it_ was there, and the sun, and the Sphinx looming in the distance. He could not see them, but they were there. They were not important, though.

And then the temple. Always at the bottom. And the three men, always at the top. White cloaks, pale faces, blue hair. Blue like the sky, the sky he could not see, but it was there. It was not important, though.

Always at the bottom. Why not at the top? Middle one offers a hand. At the top, take the hand. No longer at the bottom. Always at the bottom.

Portal of light, spinning light, yellow light, dancing light. Beautiful? Waltzing light. Waltzing. Like butterflies. Do butterflies waltz?

The blue sky, the golden sun, and he could see them now. They were important now. But the sand? Sand was gone. Grass, green grass in its place. Soft, like a bed, like a feather bed. Birds? Over the water. Strange birds, with human faces. Looked familiar.

Grass. Fields, endless fields, endless green fields. Rolling like waves. Oceans, blue and sparkling, like the sky. He could see the sky. It was important now. And the sun, it was important too, and the fields, and the grass, and the water.

They flew, and he flew with them because he had wings now. Powerful wings, the wind strong underneath. Over the fields and the water. Endless green fields. Shimmering blue water. He had wings, and so he flew.

He raised his head and roared a challenge to the sky, because he had wings, and power now, too. The power to destroy. Destroy at will. Power. He liked power, he wanted power. Now he had power. Challenge to the sky. Wings and power. He had them, and the other three had them too.

No longer weak. Power, lots of power, power to destroy. Weakness was gone, human weakness was gone. He had power, and wings. He could fly, and so he flew. He had wings, so he flew.

Over the water again, again over the water. Looking down, he saw. It was like a mirror, a big mirror, like glass. Broken glass, remember? Broken glass. Broken mirror? No. A big glass mirror, and they were there. He knew what they were. What were they? They were—

Seto Kaiba opened his eyes.

_What were they?_

He blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. A few moments later, he was able to discern the ceiling of his bedroom, the first light of dawn seeping through his closed window visible as thin grey streaks on the rafters. He turned and peered at the clock on the bedstead. It was almost four o'clock.

He kicked back the covers and slowly got out of bed. Dressing in the dark, he allowed his mind to wander back to the dream. It had been plaguing him night after night for about two months, and yet he still could not grasp its significance. It was actually not the dream itself that irked him; it was the feeling he had every time he awoke, a persistent, nagging feeling that he had changed, that something had happened to him, that he had become something different—something powerful. But he never knew what it was.

_What were they?_

He sat back on the bed, staring out the window at nothing. He had heard about recurring dreams, and how they were supposed to have some sort of symbolism or message or something-or-other, but what sort of allegorical significance could a temple in the Egyptian desert have? Especially concerning his miserable existence?

If there was anything Seto Kaiba hated, it was something he could not understand, and this dream certainly fit into the category. Watching the steadily-lightening sky outside his window, he remembered the sun, and the sand. The desert sand.

He would have to get to the bottom of this mystery soon, or he would have to start seeing a psychiatrist. He knew where that temple was; it was one of the inexorable facts that one always knows when one dreams. Egypt, behind the Sphinx. Why the temple was located there was something he did not know…but intended to find out.

The sudden roaring sound exploded like a bomb inside his head and he leaped to his feet, spinning completely around once before finally straightening, glaring at the alarm clock buzzing dutifully to announce the arrival of four o'clock. Reaching over, he slammed his fist carelessly down on the little machine and silence fell once again. Rising, he slipped on his coat and headed for the door. Another day in Seto Kaiba's life was about to begin—but he had to do something first.


	2. Departure

**A/N: **Good news: "Guardians" has just been completed! Now whether that means faster updating is an entirely different matter.

OOC-ness abounds. My apologies.

I really should be working on physics instead of doing this…

Young Mokuba Kaiba tried hard not to pant as he struggled to keep up with his older brother's broad strides as they made their way together toward the private terminal. "Tell me again, Niisama," he said, lugging his heavy suitcase behind him, "Why exactly are we going to Egypt, anyway?"

Seto sighed. "I just want to see something," he said, "And you could've stayed behind if you wanted to."

"And not missed school?" Mokuba asked. "I only _look_ stupid, right?"

Seto smiled. "Come along, kid," he said, switching his own suitcase to his other hand and shrugging to readjust the straps of his travel bag. "The plane's already set for boarding."

"It's our own private jet," Mokuba said, "Why the rush?"

"Why not?" Seto answered, and then rolled his eyes. "For Chrissake, Mokuba." Reaching down, he took Mokuba's suitcase in his free hand and continued on without slowing his pace.

"But still," Mokuba said, able to breathe freely now that he no longer had to lug his heavy burden, "Why are we in such a hurry? Let's stop and get a bite to eat."

"We just had lunch."

"Yeah…but I'm hungry again."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"We'll eat on the plane."

"But Seto—"

"Stop whining."

"Niisama, I really think we should wait," Mokuba said.

Seto stopped walking and turned. "And why's that?" he asked. There was that dangerous glint in his eyes that suggested he knew something was wrong.

Almost immediately Mokuba's head dropped and he stared at his shoes as he muttered, "I…well, I sort of…I know you probably won't approve, but I thought…well, since it's Egypt and all, I took the liberty of inviting—"

"Hey, Kaiba! Mokuba! Over here!"

Mokuba turned. "H-Hi, Jounouchi. You guys are late."

Jounouchi Katsuya came up to them, soon joined by Yugi Motou, Anzu Mazaki, and Honda Hiroto. All were carrying suitcases. Involuntarily Mokuba looked up at his brother, who was currently glaring at the new arrivals. If looks could kill, they would have all been dead.

"Sorry about the hold-up," Anzu said. "The line in the girls' restroom was murder."

"And Jounouchi wanted some ice cream," Honda said.

"And there was that new game in the arcade," Yugi added. "Anyway, hope we didn't keep you waiting too long. Glad you invited us, though. We couldn't turn down a free trip to Egypt." He stopped, noticing for the first time Seto's deadly glare and Mokuba's sheepish look. "Uh…you _did_ tell your brother that you invited us, right, Mokuba?"

The small black-haired boy shifted uncomfortably. "Well—"

"Yes, he told me." Mokuba looked up, shocked as Seto continued, "And while I don't exactly think this is a good idea, and I would much rather send you back to the dumps where you came from…I see nothing wrong as long as you don't bother me. And that's for all twelve hours of the trip."

A woman's tinny voice sounded on the airport broadcast system. "Seto Kaiba to Terminal Eight. Calling Mr. Seto Kaiba to Terminal Eight."

"Come on, Mokuba." Seto turned and resumed walking.

Jounouchi frowned. "I see he still has that stick shoved conveniently up his butt."

Mokuba turned. "Consider yourselves lucky," he said, and hurried off after his brother.


	3. Where?

**A/N: **Michelle, what's a "preston glare"?

Winter break might mean more updates.

Next chapter will appeal to anyone who wants to see Kaiba shirtless...

**_GUARDIANS:_ CHAPTER 3**

The sun was just beginning to sink into the endless sand when the four Jeeps finally came to a stop. Seto Kaiba was the first to jump out, looking around expectantly. There was the Sphinx in the distance, the remains of its majestic head turned away from them, just as it was in the dream. There was the sand, and the sun it was swallowing up in a fiery blaze that colored the sky blood-red. But…

"Where is it?" Seto said, blinking in confusion.

"Where's what, Niisama?" Mokuba asked, climbing out of the car, pulling his suitcase with him.

"Hey!" They both turned at the sound of Honda's voice. "Why'd we stop here?" the tall brunette asked, and then pointed at the Sphinx. "If we wanted to sightsee, wouldn't it have been more convenient to get closer?"

Seto shook his head. It was supposed to be here; he had seen it hundreds of times behind his closed eyes. The sand, the sun, the Sphinx, and the temple. The men, the portal of light, the fields and the water. The wings…and power…

"Niisama?" He turned, a bit uncoordinated, and looked down at his brother. "Why are we here, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

He turned from the boy to look at the Sphinx, the setting sun, and the sprawling sea of gold that rolled in silky waves away from them on all sides. "It was…supposed to…" He could not finish.

"Kaiba?" Yugi said. He had never seen the tall, blue-eyed boy looking so perplexed.

Seto had never been so confused in his life. The temple…it was supposed to be here. It had to be here. It could not be anywhere else. Or was it a mere fantasy, like so many other things in his life? A fantasy…a lie? All of a sudden he felt like breaking down into tears.

"Niisama?" Worried, Mokuba touched his brother's arm. Seto turned to face him, and the little boy jumped when he saw the expression of utter disappointment, anger, sorrow—humanity—written on his brother's face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Seto shook his head in disbelief. "It…It was supposed to be here…"

"What?" Mokuba asked. "What was supposed to be here?"

"It…was…" Seto shook his head again and touched a hand to his forehead as if he had just gotten a migraine. He was silent for a few moments, and when he spoke again, his voice was steady. "We're camping here tonight," he said.

"_What?_" Jounouchi and Honda said at the same time.

"Out here in the middle of nowhere?" Anzu cried.

Seto turned, his voice cold. "I didn't say you had to stay," he said. "There's a motel not far from here. The Jeep drivers will know where to go."

Yugi blinked. "But…are you seriously going to stay out here all night, Kaiba?"

"What business is it of yours?" Seto snapped, and turned away.

Honda shrugged. "Well, I'm certainly not going to pass on the chance for a warm room," he said, heading back to his Jeep.

"Me neither," Anzu said, "I can't bear sleeping in the desert. The sand gets everywhere. And I mean _everywhere._"

Yugi stared after the retreating Kaiba. "I…think I'll stay here," he said.

"What?" Anzu said.

"You can't be serious," Honda said.

"I am," Yugi said. "I mean…" He turned to face them. "If Kaiba's willing to stay out here all night, then it has to be important."

"Well," Jounouchi said, speaking for the first time, "I guess that means I'm staying too."

Yugi turned. "You don't have to—"

"Don't sweat it," the young blond said. "Besides, I happen to like camping out. And you'll need someone to watch your back, in case some crazy mummy comes up in the night and tries to kidnap you." He turned and pulled his travel bag out of the Jeep.

Honda shrugged. "Well…I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then," he said.

"Yeah," Yugi said, "You guys take care."

"Same to you," Anzu said. They drove away.

After the car had disappeared into the distance, Yugi turned to Jounouchi. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Sure I'm sure," Jounouchi answered. "C'mon, let's set up the tent." They headed toward the Jeep.


	4. Secret

**A/N: **Sometimes I can't help but think that this chapter could be an entirely different fanfic in itself…but it's integrated fairly well into the story so there shouldn't be any worries.

As mentioned before, this chapter will appeal to anyone who wants to see Kaiba shirtless.

I hope I didn't make Seto too OOC in this chapter…

Merry belated Christmas and Happy early New Year!

**_GUARDIANS: _****CHAPTER 4**

His digital watch read ten-thirty when Seto Kaiba finally entered his tent, pulling the flap closed and lighting the single oil lamp inside. Kicking his suitcase into the corner, he removed his coat—and was surprised to find a small blood-stained tear in the upper portion of the left sleeve. Frowning, he gingerly touched the spot on his arm with his finger, and his hand came back lightly tinted with blood. He could not remember receiving the cut anytime during that day; evidently it was not very serious if he had ignored it for so long. Still, he would need to bind it before going to bed.

Digging around in his travel bag, he finally found the medical kit. Taking a seat cross-legged in the middle of the tent and setting the kit open beside him, he removed his shirt and was glad the tent was closed; no one except his little brother knew of the horrible secret etched into his skin. He proceeded to clean and dress the wound, pressing a small gauze pad to the cut and then cutting a long length of bandage.

He finished wrapping the bandage around the wound and pulled it hard, tightening it so as to lessen the bleeding with pressure. A sudden wind from outside chilled his bare skin and he looked up, surprised to see the flapping door of his tent open and the boy standing just inside.

"Sorry," Yugi said with a sheepish, embarrassed smile. "I didn't mean to intrude. I was just…oh my God." Seto had turned to face him, allowing the light from the lantern to fall full on his upper body, revealing the disturbing truth.

"K-Kaiba," Yugi said, "What happened to you?"

"This?" Seto asked, lifting his bandaged arm. "Cut it during the Jeep ride, I think. Don't really remember." He tightened the bandages again and held the end in his teeth as he reached for a roll of adhesive.

"No." Yugi shook his head slowly, his voice shocked. "Those wounds…down your arms, and your back. Did you get in an accident recently?"

Seto took his time replying, ripping off a small piece of adhesive and using it to hold the gauze down. Rechecking the bindings, he did not look up as he finally answered, "Old scars."

"When did you get them?"

"A long time ago."

"How long?"

"Several years. When I was still a child."

"But…" Yugi swallowed hard. "How did you get so many? Who gave them to you?"

At this, Seto finally looked up and, for the first time since Yugi had entered, seemed genuinely annoyed. Yugi instinctively shied away from his icy blue eyes. "This conversation has gone on long enough," Seto said.

Yugi took a step back but seemed hesitant to leave. "But—"

"Yugi." He turned at the voice and saw Mokuba standing behind him, looking just as angry as Seto was. The young raven-haired boy shook his head slowly. "My brother's right," he said. "You should go."

Yugi stared at him, and then turned to look at Seto, still sitting cross-legged in the middle of his tent. For a moment indecision clouded his features before he finally straightened and nodded. "Well…good night," he said, and walked past Mokuba back toward his tent.

After he had gone, Mokuba turned and entered the tent, pulling the flap closed behind him. For a moment both brothers were silent, content simply with each other's company. At long last, however, Mokuba shuffled his feet a bit and nodded his head in the direction of Yugi's retreat.

"He doesn't know, does he?" he asked, "About…Gozaburo…"

"Just the Sunday school version," Seto replied, putting his shirt back on, and then continued before Mokuba could ask, "His friends and him…they wouldn't be able to handle the rest. They're not like us."

"But still," Mokuba said, "Don't you think maybe we should—"

"Mokuba." Seto's voice was hard. "How many lifetime scars do you think Yugi has? Or Jounouchi? Or Honda?" he asked. "I could probably count them on my ten fingers. Now how many do you think I have? Or you?"

For a long time the young boy did not answer. At long last, he turned and added a bit of oil to the lantern, refusing to meet his brother's eyes as he whispered, "You're right. They're not like us at all." He spilled some of the oil, and the candlelight flared for a brief moment, illuminating the emerald of his eyes. Very slowly, he shook his head. "It's not fair, Niisama," he said, his free hand clenching into a small fist. "Why did we have to go through such hell while the rest of them led perfect lives? Why do we have to be different?"

His brother did not reply. Instead, Seto got slowly to his feet and walked over to him. Bending down, he extinguished the lantern in one breath, and in the ensuing darkness Mokuba felt a strong arm encircle him and he clung to his brother, struggling to hold back his tears.

"Yes, Mokuba," he heard his brother say, his voice sounding eerily distant in the darkness of the tent. "We're different. But sometimes you just have to remember…what makes us different also makes us strong."


	5. Offer

**A/N: **Wow, a longer chapter for once. Go me!

Thanks Becky for reminding me to update this today. If you hadn't mentioned it, who knows when this chapter would've been posted?

Michelle, I can't describe the scars, sorry. I always just thought of them as…well, scars. Draw them whichever way you want, I don't mind.

A couple of short notes specific to this chapter: you will notice that the dream sequence in the beginning is quite different from the one that started the story off. I wanted to convey a sense of confusion. Secondly, I had a sort of subtle symbol in this chapter, see if you can find it (you'll have to read a couple of chapters further in order to truly understand it though). Oh yeah, and one more thing: I'm sure you've all been wondering who these three men are and exactly what Seto becomes, and judging from my interrogation of Becky and Alice, I've done a pretty good job so far of covering it up. However, everything is pretty much revealed in the next chapter so just bear with me for a little while longer.

**_GUARDIANS: _****CHAPTER 5**

He could not see the sand. Or the sky. They were not important? And the sun. No sun. No sky, no blue. Nighttime?

The temple was there. It was still important, the temple. And the three men. Always at the bottom. Middle one offers a hand. Then words. Strange words.

"Awaken, brother." Awaken? Brother…brother, master? Brother. Awaken?

"Join us." Where? Here, temple? Important now?

Middle one offers a hand. No longer at the bottom. Awaken, brother. Take the hand. Portal of light, waltzing light…

Awaken, brother. Join us where? Temple, here join us? AWAKEN, BROTHER BROTHER AWAKEN why? Where join us AWAKEN where temple dancing light grass birds AWAKEN field water broken mirror AWAKEN BROTHER BROTHER AWAKEN AWAKEN temple why wings power BROTHER want power have power wings fly AWAKEN BROTHER AWAKEN AWAKEN BROTHER—

_ Awaken, brother. Join us._

Seto Kaiba sighed as his eyes once again focused on the dull white that was the ceiling of his tent. It had been different this time, his dream. Instead of conveying some message as it had for the last few months, it seemed instead to be calling to him, to come, to go, to awaken.

_Join us._ But who?

He lifted his left arm, noting the slight twinge of pain from his bandaged wound, and peered at his watch. It was six minutes to midnight.

A sudden wind blew in from the desert, causing the tent to shudder and the closed door flap to ripple. Seto frowned. The last thing he needed now was to be buried in some sandstorm—

The tent flap suddenly flew open, bringing in a rush of warm wind, a cloud of sand, and a strange fluorescent light. Quickly Seto shielded his eyes, worrying suddenly that his little brother lying in the other corner of the tent would be buried in sand. The light flashed again, covering the tent in a ghostly white glow, and there was no mistaking that it came from outside. The sand was still swirling as Seto got slowly to his feet, shaking the sand off of his coat as he slipped it on. The wind still blew, though softly now, as if it bore to him secrets from the most remote corners of the desert.

Seto gave his coat one final tug and turned to look at his little brother. Mokuba was still sound asleep, although his blanket had been covered with a thin layer of dust. Seto was mildly surprised; he had thought that the wind or sandstorm or whatever-it-was had been enough to wake the dead. To reassure himself he nudged Mokuba gently with his foot; the little boy simply murmured something in his sleep, shifted, and began to snore lightly. Seto smiled and glanced at his watch. 11:30 PM.

He blinked. 11:30? He remembered it being almost midnight when he had first woken up.

Frowning, he tapped the screen with his finger, rubbed his eyes, looked again, and jumped, startled. His watch now read 2:17 AM. As he continued to stare, the digital numbers shifted and changed, faster and faster—3:03, 4:55, 10:43, 6:47, 9:78, 12:12, 4:22, 15:01, 99:99—

The screen cracked with the splintering of glass. Tiny glimmering shards tinkled to the floor as the backlight flickered and died.

_Broken glass?_

Well, that was too bad, Seto thought to himself as he removed the watch and tossed it carelessly into the corner. Top quality, the dealer had said. Six hundred-fifty is a fair price, son. Bullshit. Get out here in the middle of nowhere and it gives you—

Something exploded. He ducked, scrambling back a few steps and raising an arm to keep himself from being blinded by the sudden burst of light that seemed to break through the tent like water bursting through a dam. It was gone as soon as it had come.

Seto straightened, cautiously lowering his arm. The last time he had checked, the Aurora Borealis did not appear in Egypt. So what had that light been?

A soft sound caught his attention and he turned just in time to see his brother mutter something about June beetles and tap-dancing as he shifted onto his side, still snoring. Seto frowned. If the sandstorm had not woken Mokuba up, surely that light show would have. There was no way Mokuba could have slept through that explosion. Or had there been an explosion, or just light? Seto was pretty sure he had heard a loud crack just before the light. Or was he dreaming even now?

Shaking his head slowly, he pulled his coat more tightly about himself and stepped through the open tent flap and into the cold night, zipping the flap shut behind him so as not to bother Mokuba. To his left were two tents, one belonging to Yugi and the other to Jounouchi, both relatively undisturbed. Beyond them were the three remaining Jeeps, their coverings tinted with sand and dust. And beyond those…

Seto's heart leaped into his throat. It was there, towering over him in all its majestic beauty. Magnificent stone pillars shot toward the sky, and massive grey steps called him, invited him, beckoned him. Come, Seto Kaiba. Awaken, brother. Join us.

Almost involuntarily Seto reached up and pinched himself hard. He was definitely not dreaming, but how was it possible that a temple could just appear out of nowhere? It defied every scientific law in existence. He closed his eyes, shook his head, opened them again, and blinked. The temple was still there.

_Join us…_

He began to walk toward it. The sand was hard and tightly packed beneath his feet, as if even the Egyptian desert did not dare hinder his passage. The strange wind started up again as he approached the mighty stone colossus, but it was merely a small breeze now, tugging at his coat and dancing about his feet like a little child. The sand did not rise.

It was a mirage. It had to be. There was no other explanation; it was impossible. He tried to ignore the fact that it was nighttime and there was no hot air available to generate any illusion. A mirage, that was what it was. It could not be anything else. And yet he continued to walk.

A mirage. Were mirages possible at night? Most likely not. Layer of hot air, layer of cold air, illusion of water. Still, it had to be a mirage, because if it was not…then what could it be?

He was already at the top of the stairs.

Seto sighed and shook his head. Either it was not a mirage and the temple was real…or he was having one hell of a hallucination.

Almost afraid to breathe, he stepped into the temple.

Darkness engulfed him, and he had to wait once again for his eyes to adjust before he was able to make out the two hallways that branched out before him now, one leading left and one leading right. Both looked equally black and uninviting. So which—

_Right._

Before he was even fully aware of it, he had turned and headed down the right hallway. How he had made that decision and acted upon it so quickly, he did not know, but as he felt his way slowly along the cold stone wall, he kept getting the uncanny feeling that he had been here before, and that he could navigate the endless halls with his eyes closed if he wished.

He reached another fork and immediately turned left. Something was calling him from beyond, and he knew what it was, and he did not know. He turned left again. All he knew was that he had to get into that room, that one vast room. And then there would be the portal of light, and then the fields, the water, wings, power…

He stopped. The hallway had ended. He was here.

He peered forward eagerly but saw nothing; his eyes could not penetrate the darkness here. Reaching down, he fumbled for a moment before finally pulling the small glow-stick from his belt. He cracked it, allowing its feeble green light to creep into the darkness.

Even with the added illumination, he could not see much, only a dark towering shape that loomed over him. For a split second he was afraid, and then something clicked and he knew it was a statue of some kind, although he could not make out anything beyond that. Stepping slowly forward, he raised the glow-stick and passed it across the stone. The first things he noticed were the wings, arching magnificently from the sky, polished and refined, curved down as if protecting some sacred treasure. Beyond them, curled protectively around the body, came the tail, thin and long, composed of layer upon layer of thick, broad scales. Further up from the powerful wings the neck extended, long and narrow and bearing striking resemblance to the tail; in fact, Seto would have thought them one and same had he not noticed the head low and curving back, eerie blue eyes staring straight at him. He raised the glow-stick to the face—

With a cry he stumbled backward. The glow-stick fell with a dull tinkle to the floor, its pale light flickering and threatening to go out. At that instant the entire room burst into light as each individual torch, dozens lining the massive walls, all alighted simultaneously. For a moment Seto only saw all white and he had to squint to allow his eyes time to adjust yet again. Then he straightened and looked again at the statue, illuminated fully now in all its superior might, and he knew for certain what it was. But why here? What—

"Welcome, brother." He spun, and they were there. All three faced him, tall and regal in their long cloaks.

"Wh-Who the hell are you?" Seto demanded.

The middle one smiled then. Stepping slowly forward, he offered his hand.


	6. Appear

**A/N: **Finals are over! In celebration, another update. This chapter is a great deal longer than all the others, but if I hadn't cut it off where I did, it would probably be two or three times longer than it is now. I think I did a pretty good job of a cliffhanger, don't you think?

Anyway, everything (or at least the main point about the three mysterious men) is revealed in this chapter. I'm quite proud of this idea, and I would copyright and patent it if I could. (And if it's actually been done in the series, I shall presently go jump off a cliff and call it a life.) All other questions will be answered in the next chapter.

Yet another dream sequence at the beginning of this chapter, but it's a little different because this time it's not Seto who is dreaming. But you'll understand. An additional note: this chapter is rated for Mokuba's as well as Jou's mouth. Does Mokuba really cuss that heavily in real life? I wouldn't be surprised.

**_GUARDIANS: _****CHAPTER 6**

Do I have to leave him?

I don't want to leave him. He's everything to me.

Yes, I want this. I want to go. But I don't want to leave him.

Do I have to leave him?

I want to go. But do I have to leave him? Can't he come with me?

I don't want…leave him…want this…go…him?

MOKUBA!

Mokuba Kaiba awoke to the horrible realization that he was being strangled. Something was clutching at his neck, clawing at his collar. He kicked at it, the thing, kicked and yelled and fought for a few moments before suddenly discovering that he was struggling with his blanket.

Throwing the covers angrily aside, he rose to a sitting position. The dream had been vivid, almost horrid in its lucidity. The voice, his brother's voice. Where was Seto going?

Mokuba blinked at the door of the tent, hastily and messily zipped, flapping lightly in the breeze, and at the thin sheet of sand that covered the tent floor. He clearly remembered both the door being closed and the floor being clean when he and Seto had turned in for the night.

He turned and peered through the darkness into the other corner of the tent. "Niisama?" His voice sounded strangely alien in the night.

There was no reply. "Niisama," Mokuba called more urgently, and still no response came. He suddenly began to get the cold feeling that his brother was not there.

_I don't want to leave him. Can't he come with me?_

"Seto!" Mokuba leaped to his feet and snatched a glow-stick off of the floor. Cracking it, he made his way quickly over to the other corner of the tent and pulled aside the rumpled blanket. There was no one underneath.

"Niisama?" Mokuba turned, thrusting the small glow-stick out into the darkness, but the tent was empty. Only the sand, and the open door. Mokuba rushed outside, panic congealing the blood in his veins. "Yugi! Jounouchi! Help, Seto is—" He froze when he saw for the first time the huge stone monster towering in the near distance. The glow-stick dropped from his trembling hands.

"Holy shit," he whispered, just as Yugi and Jounouchi burst out of their tents, the blond still pulling his pants on.

"What's the matter?" Jounouchi cried, hobbling over to them, still struggling with his jeans. "I don't—" He saw the temple, and promptly swore something that would have shamed the meanest man alive.

"What is _that_ thing?" Yugi cried, gaping.

"It sure as hell wasn't here before!" Jounouchi said.

Mokuba shook his head. "That's…not possible…" Could it be a mirage? No hot air, though. Impossible.

Before he had even realized what he was doing, he was running toward the temple. Faintly he heard Yugi and Jounouchi crying out for him to stop as he mounted the steps, taking them two at a time. His brother was in there. How he knew was a mystery. There had been plenty of mysteries tonight.

The stairs seemed endless, and yet keeping himself focused on the cavernous hole at the top reminded Mokuba that they did terminate. He breached the last stair and without hesitation plowed forward into the gaping maw of the beast. Then he came to an abrupt stop, looking from the left hallway to the right in confusion. Moments later, footsteps were heard as Yugi and Jounouchi finally caught up, both out of breath. Mokuba was surprised to discover that he was breathing fairly easily compared to his friends.

"Okay," Jounouchi said after he had regained his wind. "I don't suppose you'd want to try Eenie-Meenie-Minie-Mo now?"

"Why are we in here anyway, Mokuba?" Yugi asked. "Aren't we supposed to be finding your brother?"

The simplicity of the answer annoyed Mokuba so that he could barely conceal the irritation in his tone as he replied, "We _are_ finding my brother." He rolled his eyes, knowing they would not catch the movement in the dark, and continued, "Seto's here, I'm sure of it. Now if I can just figure out which—"

With a flash all of the dark torches lining the walls of the right hallway sprang to life, flames flickering strangely in the darkness. The left hallway remained black and forlorn.

"Well," Yugi said, "Looks like we're—Mokuba, wait! Where are you going?" He and Jounouchi sprinted after the dark-haired boy who was already halfway down the lighted hallway.

"Mokuba!" Jounouchi called as he and Yugi huffed after him. "Are you even sure this is the right way?" Mokuba did not care to answer, for already he saw another two hallways opening up before him. He slowed his pace a bit, confusion creeping into his mind for a brief moment before the left hallway burst into flaming light. About to turn right he spun, pivoting smoothly on his heels, and followed the burning torches. He could not hear Yugi and Jounouchi behind him anymore, but strangely he found that he did not care. All he knew at the moment was that his brother was going away, and leaving him alone.

Alone, and different.

Another division in the road now approached, but already he could see that the left hallway was filled with light, flames licking at the ceiling and doing some strange dance in the blackness. He turned without hesitation and saw before him a lighted opening at the end of the long hall. Quickening his pace, he burst through into the open air and doubled over on his knees, struggling for wind. He regained his breath just as Yugi and Jounouchi joined him, and finally lifted his head to see a huge monster standing in the center of the huge room, wings open, tail lifted, neck arching gracefully to the sky, head bent and mouth open ready to devour him. Involuntarily he gave a shocked cry and shuffled backward a few steps before he realized that it was a statue, an exact replica of—

"I'll be damned," Jounouchi whispered as he stared. "Yugi, please tell me that's not—"

"It's a Blue Eyes White Dragon," Yugi breathed, sounding almost afraid to speak. "Made entirely of stone. But what's a statue of it doing in this temple? And for that matter, what's this temple doing in the middle of the desert?"

"And who the hell are _they?_" Jounouchi cried, pointing. Yugi and Mokuba both looked up just in time to see three figures step out of the giant stone dragon's shadow. They wore similar attire and indeed seemed to be identical in both dress and appearance. The torches along the walls of the huge room flashed brightly, bringing out the brilliance of their narrow blue eyes, the prominence of their long noses and high cheekbones, and the circlet-like thick metal rings they wore, each with a hexagonal sapphire-like stone embedded in the center. Their white cloaks fell to the floor and split along the middle, revealing pale tunics with light blue embroidery made of silk-like material. The hoods covering their faces did nothing to conceal their sharp eyes, which Mokuba discovered were the only characteristics unique to each man: one had eyes the color of the sky, another a darker shade of cerulean, and the last a lighter cyan. Their pale, cream-colored skin was surpassed only by their hair, impossibly long white locks pulled back and tied low. They were utterly strange, and yet Mokuba felt that he had seen them somewhere before.

The one in the middle lifted his head, nodded, and spoke. "Welcome, young master," he said. His voice was silky and he spoke without haste, pronouncing each syllable with such slow precision as to suggest that he had to think carefully about each word before saying it.

"Young master?" Jounouchi repeated. "You don't mean us, do you?"

The one on the left with the cyan eyes frowned. "We addressed the boy," he said, and indicated Mokuba with a nod. His voice was identical to that of his companion.

"Why me?" Mokuba asked, just as Yugi and Jounouchi asked at the same time, "Why him?"

The middle one, who had the sky-blue eyes, cocked his head curiously as if examining some scientific specimen. "He does not recognize us," he said slowly, sounding surprised.

"No shit, genius, considering we've never even seen you before," Jounouchi said. "Now just what are you guys—"

"Where's Seto?" Mokuba asked in a strong voice, cutting Jounouchi off.

The middle one smiled and took his time replying. "He is here."

"Where?" Mokuba demanded. "I don't see him. Where's Niisama?"

"He is here," the one on the right with the cerulean eyes said, as if it were an obvious fact. "You do not see him because he is one of us now."

Mokuba blinked. "What does that mean?"

_I want to go…_

"I don't see Kaiba anywhere," Yugi said, looking around. "And just who are you people, anyway?"

"The boy would know," the man on the left said.

Yugi and Jounouchi both turned to look at Mokuba, but the small raven-haired boy only shrugged and shook his head. At this, the middle one spoke again, sounding slightly confused as if he had expected Mokuba to know him at first glance. "We are Seto Kaiba's closest friends, the few whom he truly loves," he said. "We are his friends, and we are his guardians. We have watched over him for many long years."

"And he has watched over us," the one on the right said.

"And been our friend, and our guardian," the remaining one added.

"Yes," the middle one said again. "For years he has been our one and only master, and we his faithful and devoted servants. We have watched over him and protected him."

"And now we have delivered him," the man to his left said.

The middle one looked up, and his deep blue eyes bore into Mokuba's own. "Do you realize now, Mokuba?" he asked. "Do you know us, young master?" And then Mokuba suddenly realized why they seemed so familiar. It had nothing to do with the appearance—it was only in the eyes, those brilliant blue eyes. He had seen them before, many times before. The bodies had been different, but the eyes the same.

"Oh, God," he whispered, his voice choked.

"I don't understand," Yugi said, and turned to him. "Mokuba, do you know these people?"

"They're…not people." Both Yugi and Jounouchi jumped as Mokuba continued in a voice that was strangely emotionless, "They're not even human."

"What do you mean?" Jounouchi asked. "They look human enough to me."

"Their eyes—for Chrissake, look at their eyes!" Mokuba cried, pointing. "Don't you recognize them? You've seen them before, both of you, tons of times! Can't you see?" He paused to swallow hard. "They're not human. They're monsters."

Yugi shook his head slowly, suddenly realizing. "You can't be serious…"

"They're Duel Monsters," Mokuba said. "They're…They're Seto's three Blue Eyes White Dragons."


	7. Return

**A/N: **Uhh…sorry about not updating. This story completely slipped my mind the past month.

I regret to announce that this chapter is the second-to-last, and my next update will be my last one concerning this fic. I made it short because I was afraid I would run out of steam before I finished.

Nothing much to say about this chapter, other than that _it is very poorly written._ I'm sorry but I'm a bit too lazy to edit it and everything, so just bear with me. You can get the main point of it, though.

Just a suggestion: anyone want to do an analysis on this fic? Because it's the first story where I actually consciously inserted a couple of symbols and other literary devices, and I was just wondering if it was effective. Don't really care either way, though.

All right, on, on!

**_GUARDIANS: _****CHAPTER 7**

Yugi opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Jounouchi's face visibly paled. "Those men are _dragons?_" he cried.

"So he does recognize us." They all turned, but could not tell which of the dragons had spoken.

"He told us the boy would know," the left one said.

"Wait a minute," Yugi said, finally able to form words. "If you're Duel Monsters, what are you doing here in our world?"

"And why do you look human?" Jounouchi added.

"And where the hell is my brother?" Mokuba demanded.

The dragon standing on the right cocked his head, perplexed. "Such simple questions," he whispered.

"Do you not see?" his companion said a touch impatiently, indicating with his arm the giant statue still towering in the middle of the room. "This temple is a shrine to the dragons of our world."

"And we have dominion over all other dragons because of our power and our wisdom," another said.

"As for why we have appeared before you…" the one in the middle said, and turning, he faced the statue and murmured something alien in a low voice. There was a flash of light, and slowly a spinning luminescent white sphere materialized in front of the statue. It continued to revolve and expand until it was roughly large enough to allow a grown man passage through, whereupon its interior seemed to dissolve from the center outward, revealing a clear, starry, moonlit night sky beyond.

"What is that?" Jounouchi breathed.

"It's the monster world," Yugi said in an awed whisper. "This temple must be a bridge between the two worlds. That's why Kaiba's dragons were able to cross to our side."

"Okay," Jounouchi said, turning to the three dragons once again. "I can understand _how_ you got here, but I still don't get why you look human. Last time I saw you, you looked pretty damn different."

The middle one smiled, and for the first time Mokuba noticed the prominence of his sharp canines as he answered, "We have always been able to take human forms; it is a trait unique to the Blue Eyes White Dragon. However, we prefer not to do so."

"Why's that?" Yugi asked.

The one on the right blinked his cerulean eyes. "Humans are weak," he said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Weak?" Jounouchi repeated in a voice charged with annoyance. "You wait until my Red Eyes Black Dragon shows up. Then I'll show you 'weak.'"

"Your dragon will not come," the middle one said.

"We'll see about that," Jounouchi said, drawing his card.

The dragon smiled, laughter dancing in his sky-blue eyes. "So naïve," he whispered, almost to himself. "It is no wonder he despises you so."

"You can call for your dragon," his companion said, "But he will not come."

"Why not?" Yugi asked, digging through his deck for his dragon cards. "You said this was a temple for dragons, and that it's a bridge between our worlds. So shouldn't our dragons be able to cross over too?"

"Yes," the one with the cyan eyes said. "But they do not wish to."

"You, who consider yourselves lords of this…_game_," the middle one said, pronouncing the word with nothing short of derision. "Perhaps it is true that you possess skills that our master does not. But he also has one thing that you do not."

"As we have said before, we are friends and guardians of Seto Kaiba," the dragon to his right said. "We are devoted to him, and he to us. He shares a bond with us that the likes of you could never understand."

"That is why your dragons, who are loyal to you but are little more than your attack dogs, remain dormant on the other side," the one in the middle said. "They do not care for you."

"We, on the other hand, recognized our master's pains and his sorrows," the one to his left said. "We wished to help him, and so we took these forms and delivered him from his life here."

"What…does that mean?" Mokuba asked, speaking it seemed for the first time in many years.

"We have watched Seto Kaiba suffer for a long time," the middle dragon said. "We wanted to give him a chance for a better life, so we approached him with an offer, and he is one of us now."

"I don't get it," Jounouchi said.

"Where is he?" Mokuba demanded, suddenly extremely annoyed at how the three dragons always seemed to dodge his questions.

The dragon on the right smiled, and his eyes took on a glint of mischief. "You can see for yourselves when he returns."

"What do you—" Yugi started to say, and was abruptly cut off by a familiar roar, seeming to grow eerily closer and louder by the second. All three boys looked expectantly at the dragons, but they had not moved and neither did they seem surprised by the sound. Mokuba opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it when the spinning sphere in front of the giant statue emitted a blinding flash of light. The starry night sky melted into a white blur and the sphere once again began to expand and change shape. At the same time, a thick and quite familiar blue laser shot directly out of the sphere and over their heads, causing Mokuba, Yugi and Jounouchi all to duck frantically. The White Lightning soared so closely over them that they could feel the heat, before breaking out of the temple and dissipating into the desert night.

The sphere changed and began to take the form of a dragon. However, just when it seemed the dragon of light had fully materialized, its shape became distorted once again and it began to shrink and morph in appearance. Mokuba had just barely realized that its new form was humanoid when the light finally faded away, revealing a fourth man, long white cloak barely brushing the stone floor, tunic neat and fresh, dark blue eyes shining. A few moments passed before Mokuba recognized his brother.

The hood Seto wore concealed his brown hair for the most part, but his necklace stood out prominently against his tunic. His skin, also, was not pale like those of the dragons, and indeed seemed flushed and healthy. His eyes, usually so cold and emotionless, were now filled with a light that Mokuba only saw on those rare occasions when his brother was truly happy. He had, in essence, never seen Seto this way before.

Evidently, Yugi and Jounouchi were just as surprised as Mokuba was when Yugi blurted out in a voice nearly choked with shock, "Kaiba, is that you?"

Seto took a moment to reply, but when he finally spoke he did not slow in his speech as the dragons did. Cocking his head slightly, he said in a tone that was nothing short of scornful, "Why are _you_ here?"

Yugi frowned. "I was about to ask you the same question."

"Mokuba was the only one invited," Seto said, his voice becoming hard and his eyes taking on that familiar dangerous look. "You two get out. This is sacred ground."

"Sacred ground, my ass!" Jounouchi snapped. "Just what the hell are you doing in that get-up anyway?"

"We already told you that he is one of us," one of the dragons said. "Why not the attire?"

"One of you? And just what the hell does _that_ mean?" Jounouchi continued, turning to face them now, "What, did you magically transform him into a Blue Eyes White Dragon or something?"

No one answered.

A long moment of silence passed before Jounouchi finally blurted out in a much more subdued voice, "Oh—well…crap." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned away.

"K-Kaiba," Yugi said, barely able to speak, "You—You _became_ a Blue Eyes White Dragon?"

"Is it that hard to believe?" Seto asked. "You must've seen more impressive things, what with your fancy Egyptian magic and all." He turned then, and addressed his little brother in a soft voice that was almost gentle. "Mokuba…there's something you need to know." He paused to take a deep breath. "Since I'm a…well, you know I can't stay here in this world."

"A dragon can only survive in the realm of his brethren," one of the dragons said.

"Mokuba," Seto said. The boy did not look up, but he continued, "I'm signing Kaiba Corp over to you; do with it what you will. I know you'll be able to make it even more successful…Mokuba, are you listening to me?"

The boy's hands had clenched into two fists, and his entire body was shaking. "You…" he whispered.

"Mokuba, are you all right?" Yugi asked.

"You…" A teardrop glittered as it made its way slowly down Mokuba's left cheek. "You…" His head snapped up, and in the light all could see his face streaked with tears. "_You bastard!_" he shouted, his voice high and near-hysterical. "How dare you leave me alone! How dare—" And he launched himself forward, barreling toward his brother even as Yugi and Jounouchi cried out for him to stop.

All three dragons responded, lifting their hands and holding them out, palms facing the boy. White light began to gather in the center of their palms, but Seto waved dismissively at them and they promptly lowered their hands just as Mokuba rammed into his brother. Seto took the impact with only a slight backward shuffle and held the boy back as Mokuba beat down repeatedly with his fists, screaming, "You made a promise! You said you'd stay here with me! How dare you leave me alone—_all alone—_" And then he collapsed forward, going entirely limp in his brother's arms, and began to sob.

Yugi and Jounouchi looked away without being asked as Seto bent down and gently disengaged his little brother. Mokuba shied from his touch but Seto gripped him firmly by the shoulders, forcing his brother to meet his eyes. "Mokuba," Seto said, brushing the boy's tears away with his hand, "Why are you crying?"

Mokuba gritted his teeth and tried not to tremble. "You're…You're leaving me…all alone…"

Seto's voice was serious. "Remember what I told you," he said, "We're different, and to be different is to be alone."

"But I wasn't alone. You were there too."

"Yes," Seto said, "But I don't need to be." Mokuba looked up, and Seto smiled and continued, "You're independent, Mokuba. We both know that. You don't need me to take care of you or protect you anymore; you were capable of that a long time ago. I can't always be here, and you know that too."

"Yes," Mokuba stammered, "Yes, but it's easier when you're around, because _they_ don't understand. You said so yourself."

"Of course they don't understand," Seto said. "How can they understand what we've been through? But that's not important, because you're independent, and you don't need them to support you. Just like you don't need me."

"Niisama…" Mokuba bit his lip. "I still don't understand…how could you agree to this? How could you just let your entire life go?"

At this, Seto straightened. "Do you really want to know?"

Mokuba nodded. Seto turned then to face the spinning sphere of light, which had reverted to its original state, still portraying that sensuous night. "Follow me then," he said. "I'll show you everything." Without hesitation he reached out and touched the sphere, and in a flash he was gone.

Jounouchi swore in surprise. "Where the hell'd he go?" he cried.

Mokuba looked up at the three dragons. One of them nodded and motioned to the sphere with his hand. Turning, the boy ran forward and pressed a fearless hand to the light, and he disappeared as well.

Jounouchi cursed again. "Not you too!" he yelled and started toward the sphere of light as well, with Yugi following. However, they soon found their path blocked by the three dragons.

"Get out of the way!" Yugi commanded.

"You were not allowed passage," the middle dragon said.

"Like I care!" Jounouchi snapped and pushed forward. The dragon on the right, however, grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him back. He gave a cry of pain before he even hit the ground, and when Yugi helped him up, he saw that the blond's shoulder had been lightly slashed, and blood had stained his sleeve.

The dragon lowered his hand, sharp claw-like nails still fresh with Jounouchi's blood. "If you try to advance, I shall devour you," he said.

"Seto Kaiba wishes only for his brother to remain unharmed," another dragon said. "Therefore, we will not hesitate to kill you if you do not cooperate."

Jounouchi got slowly to his feet, drawing his Red Eyes Black Dragon card. "I'll fight you if I have to," he threatened.

"You can summon your dragon," one said. "However, even if he does come to your aid, can he fight all three of us?" A lightning-like flash of light seared the room a brilliant white for a brief instant, and in that flash both Yugi and Jounouchi saw not three men, but three powerful dragons facing them, wings spread, necks arched and mouths open in a silent roar. The light retreated as soon as it had come, but Yugi and Jounouchi both knew they could not expect to win the battle.

"Can you at least tell us where Kaiba and Mokuba went?" Yugi asked after a moment.

"To our world," the middle dragon said. "You may remain here until they return." Jounouchi seemed about to protest, but a look from Yugi stopped him. Instead, he crossed his arms, and he and Yugi began to wait.


	8. Finale

**A/N: **Yes, this is the last chapter, as mentioned before. I'm actually sad to be leaving this story because it's one of the better stories I've written in a while. It was fun while it lasted though.

There is actually an epilogue for this story, but since it was so super-short I decided to just include it in this chapter anyway. You'll be able to tell where it is when it pops up.

If anyone's interested, Michelle drew an absolutely AWESOME picture concerning this story. Since FFN won't display links, just go to and look under acidic0fire, then the picture titled "what am I really?" It's awesome, I guarantee it.

Giant thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially Alice, Michelle and Becky (if you guys hadn't reviewed I would've been pretty damn pissed). I've just finished writing another YGO fanfic concerning Alister (Amelda) and Seto Kaiba, but I'm still trying to decide whether or not to post. If I do, I'll see y'all at the debut!

MeeLee

**_GUARDIANS: _****FINALE**

He had quite possibly never seen such a beautiful night sky before, the stars twinkling above as if with their own merry secrets, the darkness blanketing the land in a safe, impenetrable shroud. A soft breeze played with his black hair, light and warm as the caresses of a mother long gone. The moon shone bright and full, round as a quarter and turning the land a surreal silver.

Fields, rivers, lakes, mountains—all shone in the light and vanished in the darkness. The calls of night creatures made a chorus in the night, occasionally pierced only by the roar of some faroff creature. Then a shadow descended, and two large powerful wings wrapped about Mokuba Kaiba, enveloping him in a comfortable and protective warmth. Turning, he saw that the dragon looked exactly like its brethren but for the single round brown crest at the base of its neck that reminded him immensely of something, though he could not remember what.

Slowly, the dragon lowered its head, narrow blue eyes watching him as he gently placed a hand on its nose. The breeze blew in again, stronger this time, but Mokuba did not feel it for the dragon's wings shielded him.

Are you ready? the dragon asked, voice echoing eerily in his head, a voice warm and familiar.

Mokuba did not reply immediately, content only to look out at the night. At long last, however, he nodded. "Yes," he whispered. "Show me everything."

The dragon lifted its wings, Mokuba climbed up, and together the two Kaiba brothers shot off into the sky.

They left the vast green fields behind in a matter of minutes, and it was not until they had reached the edge of the mountain range that Seto spoke.

Do you see now? he asked, beating his wings powerfully to take them to a higher altitude.

Looking down at the cold and barren landscape, Mokuba was only bitterly reminded of the loneliness of the future. "Do you have to go?" he asked, his voice barely audible in the wind.

No, Seto answered. You have to understand, Mokuba…I did this not because I had to, but because I wanted to. He banked right, and suddenly they were over a large lake. Looking down, Mokuba distinguished his own pale reflection in the clear water as his brother continued, Look around you at the beauty and peace of this world. Could you get this back home?

Mokuba lowered his head. "Yugi and his friends could."

It's not about them. It's about us, Seto said. You know how our lives were—how my life was. My dragons offered me a way out, so I took it.

"But you…" Mokuba's fists clenched. "You didn't even _think_ of me…"

No, Seto said. I did think of you. In fact, I thought of you so much I nearly refused. Then they showed me this place, and I knew that you didn't need me anymore.

"That's a lie!" Mokuba cried, his voice involuntarily cracking. "I do need you. You're my brother and you're supposed to watch over me!"

There was a pause before Seto replied in a low voice, Mokuba, I never said I would stop watching over you.

The young boy looked up. "You…won't leave me then?"

You're my little brother, Mokuba, Seto said. Nothing can change that fact. You're my brother, and I love you with all my heart, and that love transcends all boundaries.

"Even if those boundaries separate two entirely different worlds?" Mokuba whispered almost bitterly.

Perhaps they do, Seto answered, But that makes no difference, because even though physically we're apart, spiritually we're always together. Fate saw to that.

"But sometimes spirit isn't enough," Mokuba said.

Maybe, Seto said. But then again, who says we'll be separated forever?

Mokuba was silent for a moment and had just realized the implication when his brother continued, I have faith in you, Mokuba, and I know that, in the end, you'll understand why I have to go…and also why we'll be together again soon.

"Yes," Mokuba whispered, suddenly feeling his heart fill up with hope. "Yes…soon." The last of his tears dissipated with the wind.

ONE YEAR LATER

The sky, the sun, the endless sand. All beautiful. Walking through the sand, wind playing with his hair. Playing. Like children. Remember the sandbox?

Tall temple, golden temple. Familiar temple, endless steps. Always at the bottom. Pounding feet, tight throat—all memories. Into the darkness, endless darkness, then fire. Fire all around, fire and light. Beautiful, just like he remembered. Portal of light, dancing light. Dancing, like butterflies.

Grass and water. Sun, but a different sun. Sky, but a different sky. The four men waiting for him. Smiling. We've been waiting for you. Brother offers a hand.

Wings, and power.

Mokuba Kaiba smiled softly as he slowly opened his eyes. It was time to go.

**FINI**


End file.
